Two players, who will no longer play for the Black and Reds next season, face each other twice in five days in European Championship qualifiers: Captain Elisa Senß, who is set to play for Eintracht Frankfurt, and Germany start Group A4 at home on 31 May and away on 4 June against Poland with striker Nikola Karczewska, whose loan spell from Tottenham Hotspur is over. Germany have started the qualifiers with a perfect six points. Poland, who lost both of their first games, also have Sylwia Matysik in their squad for the games on matchdays 3 and 4.
The Iceland international Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir is in the same group away and then at home to Austria. Iceland have three points to date. Hungary, with one point from two games, play away and then at home to Switzerland in League B1 with central defender Lilla Turányi in the squad.
Two Leverkusen players have been called up to the Germany U20 squad. Sofie Zdebel has support within the team from Loreen Bender, who is set to make her debut at a higher age group following seven appearances and five goals for the U19s. The squad under coach Kathrin Peter will meet up in Sweden to prepare for the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup (31 August 22 September in Colombia). Friendlies have been arranged every three days with matches against the U23 teams from Poland, Australia and Sweden.
The Germany U19 squad will get together at a training camp in Bad Blankenburg from 27 to 30 May in preparation for the European Championships in Lithuania (14 to 27 July). That includes a Bayer 04 quintet: Goalkeeper Anne Moll, Paulina Bartz, Estrella Merino Gonzalez, Julia Mickenhagen and Delice Boboy. No international fixtures have been organised. Julie Jorde is away with the Norway U23 squad. A friendly against an unnamed opponent is planned for 31 May. Her teammates Emilie Bragstad and Synne Skinnes Hansen are on standby for the senior team who play Italy in two Euro qualifiers.
The international call-ups:
Elisa Senß (Germany)
31.05.: Germany vs Poland (Euro qualifier)
04.06.: Poland vs Germany (Euro qualifier)
Nikola Karczewska and Sylwia Matysik (Poland)
31.05.: Germany vs Poland (Euro qualifier)
04.06.: Poland vs Germany (Euro qualifier)
Karólína Lea Vilhjálmsdóttir (Iceland)
31.05.: Austria vs Iceland (Euro qualifier)
04.06.: Iceland vs Austria (Euro qualifier)
Lilla Turányi (Hungary)
31.05.: Switzerland vs Hungary (Euro qualifier)
04.06.: Hungary vs Switzerland (Euro qualifier)
Loreen Bender and Sofie Zdebel (Germany U20s)
29.05.: Poland U23 vs Germany (Friendly)
01.06.: Australia U23 vs Germany (Friendly)
04.06.: Sweden U23 vs Germany (Friendly)
Paulina Bartz, Delice Boboy, Estrella Merino Gonzalez, Julia Mickenhagen, Anne Moll (all Germany U19s)
27.05. – 30.05.: Training camp in Bad Blankenburg
Julie Jorde (Norway U23s)
31.05.: Friendly (opponents to be confirmed)
Bayer 04 preparations for the 2026/27 season are in full swing, with the first friendly now under their belts. Although there are still around seven weeks to go until the first Bundesliga home game in early September, there is already huge anticipation for the start of competitive action for head coach Carles Martínez’s team at the BayArena. For the Bundesliga home matches of the new season, here is the latest information regarding the first phase of single-match ticket sales. The tried-and-tested early-bird phase remains in place. From 23 to 31 July, tickets for matches will go on sale on weekdays; the early-bird phase ends on 5 August at the latest – provided tickets are still available by then.
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Like last year, Bayer 04 Women held their summer training camp in Rieden. Coach Roberto Pätzold gives his assessment of the time in the Upper Palatinate, discusses the integration of the 11 new players and the unusual team building measures, gives his thoughts on the friendly and looks ahead to the start of the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga season in August.
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Just in time for the start of the summer holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Werkself will hold another open training session on Tuesday 21 July. The session at the BayArena is scheduled to start at 11:00 CEST and will again be available to watch in a live stream. The fans who are there can look forward to a very special surprise.
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Bayer 04 turned in a dominant performance in a 7-0 win against fifth-tier side Sportfreunde Baumberg in their first friendly ahead of the 2026/27 season. A brace from debutant Afonso Moreira (19', 27') either side of a Christian Kofane strike (23') put the Werkself 3-0 up in the first of the two 35-minute halves in Monheim am Rhein. After the break, Victor Boniface (49', 53'), Robert Andrich (56') and Nathan Tella (67') scored for the completely changed Leverkusen team. It was therefore a successful friendly debut for new head coach Carles Martínez and his team, although the hosts also had something to celebrate despite the defeat: the match marked the inauguration of Baumberg's new ground, the MEGA Stadion.
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